First Rochester Mayor Roy Rewold remembered as an icon'

Roy Rewold, the first mayor of Rochester, died Oct. 2 of congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease, an official at the Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester said. He was 84.

Rewold’s history in Rochester is expansive. In 1959, at 29-years-old, Rewold won a seat on the Rochester Village Council where he served for 11 years.

When Rochester was incorporated, Rewold was named mayor at the city council’s inaugural meeting in January of 1967, and held office for four years.

Rewold graduated from Rochester High School in 1946 and married his wife, Beverly, two years later.

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Rewold’s background in public service runs deep: After his time in Rochester, Rewold sat on the Oakland County Board of Commissioners for 11 years, seven of which he served as chairman. He was a board member of the Michigan Association of Counties for six years; president of the Michigan Association of Counties for two years; and he, along with his wife, was named Grand Marshal of the Rochester Christmas Parade in 1998.

The list of company and organization boards Rewold served on is exhaustive: First American Bank, Rochester Elks Club, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Oakland University Presidents Club, and Oakland County’s parks and drain commissions. He was also a co-founder and partner of the Royal Park Hotel.

But before public service, Rewold had a career in construction. He worked his way up the company founded by his father, Frank Rewold, in 1918 called Frank Rewold & Son, starting as a laborer and eventually ending as CEO and chairman of the Board of Directors.

Rewold first worked on Meadowbrook Farms for Matilda Dodge Wilson, founder of Oakland University. He built the retirement home for Wilson and her husband called Sunset Terrace. The building now serves as the home for Oakland University’s president.

Rochester Mayor Stuart Bikson said Rewold’s company played a role in construction of “a lot of the buildings in town ... He left a lasting legacy.”

“He did a lot of work for charity in town,” Bikson said. “People like that make our city a better community. Guys like that will be missed.”

Rewold completed more than 70 projects in the city, including Rochester College, the Royal Park Hotel, the Older Persons’ Commission and more.

About the Author

Ryan Felton is a staff writer at The Oakland Press who covers Rochester, Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, transportation and technology. Blogging about Detroit at detroit.jalopnik.com. Reach the author at ryan.felton@oakpress.com
or follow Ryan on Twitter: @ryanfelton13.